BOX OFFICE: Early Weekend Estimates

Pedro Almodovar's "Volver" opened with big numbers this weekend, earning an estimated 202,243 on 5 screens, for an estimated per screen average of 40,449, according to Sony Pictures Classics. Meanwhile, from Paramount Vantage, "Babel" expanded to 13 markets and earned an estimated $918,464 at 35 theaters, for an estimated per screen average of $26,242 and an estimated total of nearly $1.5 million so far, according to Paramount Vantage. Finally, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," from big Fox, debuted much higher than expected, with more than $26 million for the weekend. [Eugene Hernandez]

Pedro Almodovar's "Volver" opened with big numbers this weekend, earning an estimated 202,243 on 5 screens, for an estimated per screen average of 40,449, according to Sony Pictures Classics. Meanwhile, from Paramount Vantage, "Babel" expanded to 13 markets and earned an estimated $918,464 at 35 theaters, for an estimated per screen average of $26,242 and an estimated total of nearly $1.5 million so far, according to Paramount Vantage. Finally, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," from big Fox, debuted much higher than expected, with more than $26 million for the weekend. [Eugene Hernandez]